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Topic: Deadline 5.10c 450'- Marshfield Ledge (Read 2990 times)

Don't normally publicize new routes, but this one is so good, I had to put it up so people might do it. It was put in ground up, much of it during the mild winter we've been having. It is in the new vermont rock guide "Tough Schist" which will be going on sale in the next month or two. Bring gear to hand sized with a focus on small aliens/mastercams.

When the approach trail hits the cliff, hike right about 300' to the lowest point of Marshfield Ledge. Locate a shallow right facing corner (P1 of Chris Elms' "Broken Leg" 5.10d mid 80s). This is just downhill and left of the peregrine ban area.

Above a big yellow birch tree growing out of the cliff 25' up just right of the corner you'll see a bolt in a brown slab. This is P1.

P1 : 5.8 PG 100' Climb past the yellow birch and up the brown slab on two bolts to a small headwall with a bolt. Climb the headwall up to awesome easy flake climbing up to a ledge with an oak tree. Belay here.

P2 : 5.10a 100' Make an interesting bouldery move off the ledge with a bolt above your head and climb past bomber horizontal cracks. Climb past 4 bolts with increasingly difficult slab and crimp moves (reminiscent of P2 of Beyond the Universe on Willard). Gain a ledge and then choose between a crack to hard 5.10 moves to the anchor or a runout traverse up and left to the anchor (5.7). Belay at the bolted anchor.

P3 : 5.10c 100' Climb up and right off the belay past gear in questionable flakes to a shallow tree ledge with a steep headwall above. Climb past two bolts to a faint dike in the rock. Climb with difficulty up to "the dong" hold. Surmount "the dong" and clip a bolt and make wild undercling smear moves up and left to a mantle. climb up and significantly right on thin 5.6/5.7 moves past decent gear to a bolt anchor on top of the second pitch of "Shorty's Poop Route".

P4 : 5.10c 150' Climb off up and left onto the slab above the anchor clipping the first bolt of Shorty's third pitch. Plunge straight up the slab above instead of breaking right (as for Shorty's) passing gear placements and a few bolts until just below a big swell headwall. There is a new bolt placed 6" right of Chris Elm's old bolt on Broken Leg which criss crosses deadline here. Didn't get a chance to pull the old one yet. Climb directly up the head wall past bolts and gear to an extremely thin series of moves to a down sloping ledge. Clip a bolt and move up and left up a 25' headwall to a 5.8 mantle at the top of the cliff (can be wet and mossy!!!).

Right on. Thanks for the new route and all the work on the guide book. I can not wait for it to hit the shelf and see all the climbs at Marshfield and the surrounding area. That cliff is sick...the secret is out. Enjoy.

Logged

Good times. Good climbs. Get out there, get after it, and most of all enjoy it.

Thanks for posting this route Spectre. I have wanted to do it since you posted and just got around to it today. Great addition to the cliff. Its so sweet that we still have the opportunity to to find 450' new routes.

I thought the first pitch was a bit heady but easy and did notice a long stick clip at the base that i probably should of used. Challenging moves right off the belay on pitch 2 but the rest was a cruise. Great climbing on pitch 3 and found a leaver biner just above the dong. I never really encountered any 5.10 on p.3 so possibly got off route. We did pass the old bolt and did the headwall but went out right from the belay not left so maybe thats where we went wrong.

i also lead a sweet two pitch route just right of Deadline, it seemed like another new route. The first pitch had a great finger crack and the second pitch was steeper with series of hard moves in the middle. Really nice! I cant wait for the guide book to get all the details.

Dave,Glad you enjoyed the climb! Travis and I climbed the last pitch again when it was dry and found it no harder than 5.9. Seems wet slopers are a lot harder when soaked. We put in that other two pitch line last month. "boneless chicken". 5.10d 230'. Awesome finger crack on p1 followed by fantastic face climbing on p2 with the crux on small cams....

How many more routes are you guys going to do there before that book is released? There is at least a summers worth of new routing left, so Tough Schist 2013?

I felt the crux of Boneless chicken was significantly harder than anything on Deadline. More than just a letter grade. I got a little stalled out on the crux, could not find any feet and had to pull down damn hard. The start of p.2 also felt hard but it was wet. Might not be so bad when dry.

Dave,You must have missed the key mono on the crux of boneless chicken. Its pretty reasonable once you find it. I'm no 5.11 climber but I've hit it both times no problem. The starting more are indeed difficult. If you move down and right a bit, they ease a little...still 5.10 slabbin' though....